Tough times don't last, tough people do
by mrsspecialk
Summary: A couple of Sally/Percy oneshots with some Percy/Poseidon Rated T for mild language in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1 Pride and Joy

**A/N: This is my first ever fanfic so sorry if it's not great. Just wanted to do a couple of Percy/Sally oneshots, as there aren't many around. Constructive criticism is welcomed so please review **

**Disclaimer: No, I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Shall we not rub it in. *goes away and cries self to sleep***

"_Tough times don't last, but tough people do..."_

Chapter 1

Sally's POV

I looked down at my little boy fast asleep in his cot. He was barely a week old and I could already see the Sea God in his features. A small tuff of black hair sat on his head and his skin was slightly tanned. His nose was straight and his cheeks had a bit of a blush on them. And of course there was his most predominant feature; his eyes.

He scrunched his nose for a moment before his mouth opened in a perfect "O". Sally thought his yawn was adorable and he could not be any more perfect.

Until he opened his eyes.

They were a beautiful sea green and looking into them was like drowning in the ocean (and believe me she'd been through that experience after all, how do you think she met the Sea God, but that's another story) and she felt the sudden rush of hundreds of emotions hitting her at once. Fear; she knew that one day he would leave her and face a life of constant danger. She didn't know the entire prophecy, but _he_ had told her enough to let her know that the chance of him surviving to adulthood was next to nothing. Strength; no matter what challenges lay ahead, she would face them head on. She was Sally Jackson and she was no weakling. She would protect her son with all her power and if it wasn't enough, she'd die trying. Hurt; in those eyes she saw the only person she truly wanted and need- the only person she could never have. She wasn't angry at him for leaving her nor would she cry over her loss. Her father used to tell her before she went to sleep at night, "Tough times don't last Sally, but tough people do."

Eventually, she was distracted from her thoughts by a small moan coming from the little bundle in front of her. She picked him up and wondered to herself if this could actually be real. Could this baby, who looked so little like her, be hers? As she rocked him back and forth she continued to search his face for any family resemblance. She soon realized that her son had fallen asleep so she placed him in his cot and left her bliss to try and figure out how she could possibly raise him with so little money and no family to help her out.

Never had she felt so alone, even after her parents had died when she was five as she hadn't had to worry about buying food or keeping up with bills. While her Uncle had never been a fatherly person, he given her whatever she needed and she was grateful for that much.

She could have wept with the stress she was under but she knew she had to get some sleep while she could. She fell asleep on the couch she sat on unaware of another presence in her house.

In another room the child wailed again, wanting his mother. A strange man placed his hand on the boys' forehead and smiled.

"Shh my little one. Wouldn't want to wake your mother now would you?" The child was silent as it looked up into a pair of eyes that mirrored its own. The man slumped his shoulders and said, "Cherish this memory my boy, for it is the only memory of me you shall have until you are much older. But I will always watch over you. Take care of your mother for me will you?" With that the man left, leaving nothing but a sea breeze behind him.

It was a memory the child would always remember. Though he was not there, Poseidon still watched over his child fondly. The boy would have quite a future waiting for him and when the time came, Perseus Jackson would do him proud.

**Will update soon. Sorry if this was a bit boring but I'm going to try and make the others funnier. Just hit the review button, you know you want to!**


	2. Chapter 2 Unpredictable

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews! ****Here's a little one shot about Percy's first day of school. If you've got any idea for Sally/Percy stories, feel free to share! **

_**By the way, the italics are Sally's thoughts**_**. Just so you know **

Chapter 2

"Come on Percy, you don't want to be late!" It was a big day for Percy and of course staying true to his nature, he was nowhere near ready. Sally could hear him scrambling around in his room looking for his shoes, though it was a wonder he even knew the colour of his carpet with the state his room was in. Such a minor detail had been long since lost in Sally's memory. She sighed, looking at the clock for the millionth time that morning wondering if they would arrive at school before lunchtime never mind the first bell. She turned round and almost laughed at the look on Percy's face. It was an understatement to say that Percy wasn't particularly keen on the idea of school and he wasn't making much of an effort. His shoes were untied, his hair looked like he'd just walked through a hurricane (but when did it not she supposed) his bag was wide open and there was a sticky substance at the corner of his mouth that looked suspiciously like blue cookies. All in all, he looked like a pretty typical five year old boy.

She gestured to him to come over and he grudgingly complied. While she was trying (and failing) to flatten his hair he took the opportunity to try and convince his mother that school really wasn't necessary and he be much better off just staying at home for the day. Sally smiled to herself as she listened to his excuses getting more and more desperate. She wanted nothing more than to give in to his protests and never part with him, but there was something else she needed to do... _No, don't think about that...Not yet..._

Finally Sally gave up on his hair and asked him to grab his bag and go to the car. Before she followed him down the stairs of their apartment, she quickly grabbed some of her leftovers from the table and ran to the living room where the fire was still on. She threw the food into the flames and thought as hard as she could. _Please help him. Today will be difficult for him..and me. Don't judge me on what I do, because you know I have to. For Percy's sake. I'm so sorry._ She almost added, 'I love you' at the end, but she couldn't bring herself to say it. Not because it was a lie, but because it was so true that it hurt to think about him that way.

She looked around for a sign but there was nothing. She hadn't really expected anything but some reassurance would have been nice but he wasn't listening so she gave up. She put the fire out quickly and stood up to go and join Percy outside. He had the ability to destroy just about everything with just about anything and so leaving him in the car on his own for too long was pure stupidity.

She took one glance back at the fireplace and noticed that where there should be burnt food lying on the coal, there was nothing. A small breeze pushed the hair out of hair face filled the apartment with the smell of saltwater. _Maybe he was listening. _A small smile threatened to cross her face but a worryingly loud bang from outside told her there wasn't time for that sort of thing.

As it turned out Percy had gotten bored and decided to go back inside to find his mummy in the hope she had changed her mind. However as soon as he stepped out of the car, he knocked over the neighbours bins which wouldn't have been so bad if all the rubbish in them hadn't landed on that neighbour himself. Needless to say he wasn't too impressed but he knew Percy's mother and had seen she was under a fair amount of stress, so was prepared to let the boy off with a warning. Still, a fair amount of apologising was required on Sally's behalf before she felt it was acceptable to leave.

After 20 minutes of traffic, two tantrums from Percy and one bag of haribo to shut him up later, Sally was ushering Percy into the school playground. Percy looked around warily but said nothing which Sally thought was probably the best reaction she would get under the circumstances. He turned around to give his mum a goodbye hug before turning towards the school and trudging towards the gates. Sally waited until he had disappeared through the doors before returning to the car. Her mind turned towards the unpleasant task ahead. She fixed her hair and makeup in the car before driving to the bar where she arranged to meet her current boyfriend- a boyfriend that Percy was unaware of. She had been trying to build up the courage to tell him for ages now but she couldn't do it. She could barely admit to herself that she was going to meet the pig of a man she had been dating for almost a year, and she defiantly didn't want to believe that she knew he was planning to propose to her very soon. She prayed it wasn't today but she could never be sure with Gabe. Oh, and when she meant propose she meant that he would tell her they were getting married, because when it came to Gabe, he decided everything. Sally was a mere inconvenience to him and nothing more than someone to bear the brunt of his drinking habits and get him a new beer. Sally knew this and thought he was perfect for the job of protecting Percy from danger. _I hope I'm doing the right thing. I have to protect Percy I made the choice to live a mortal life and I will do this._

The entire date can almost be summed up by the way Gabe greeted Sally at the bar. She walked up to him with a fake smile plastered on her face, kissed him on the cheek (_just count to three Sally and it'll be over)_ and asked him how he was. He completely ignored this, slapped her ass and asked her if she wanted to buy him a beer. _Well at least he's not drunk...yet. _"So Gabe, you wanting another round, eh?" The bartender shouted. Sally glanced at the empty glasses on the table_. Okay so he is drunk, hmm, that's almost impressive seeing as it's not even 10:00 am yet._

Sally sighed and wondered what put him such a good mood. She sat down next to him and paid for his beer. "So babes what you been up to, eh?" Gabe asked.

_Quickly I can still leave. The doors right there!_ "Not much honey. Its Percy's first day of school you know so it's been a pretty stressful day." _Why am I still here?_

"So the punks gonna be gone during the day now?" There was a glint in Gabe's eye that Sally wasn't keen on.

"Erm, yeah. I am going to miss him." _That's right think of Percy. Percy...Percy..._

"Cause I can think of a few things to keep you busy with during the day." Gabe raised an eyebrow at her. _..._

"I don't know what you're talking about?" Sally said as convincingly as possible.

"Well, maybe we should take the next step in our relationship_." Percy, Percy, Percy, Percy_...

"So I'm thinking I move into yours (_Crap!_) and we see things how things go" _PERCY, PERCY, Percy!_

"Oh Gabe I thought you'd never ask!" _It's official, I'm insane. The doors still there..._

During the rest of the date she passed the time by thinking of ways to explain her decision to be with Gabe to Percy._ I'll tell him when he gets home tonight. He needs to know._

What felt like hours later, she shut the door to her apartment and leaned against the doorframe with her eyes closed. She checked her watch and saw it was 1:00. Percy would be coming home on the school bus in an hour. She sighed and dropped her bag into the nearest chair. She went into the kitchen with the intention of starting on the washing but stopped abruptly when she realised she was not alone. A man sat in the chair at the table looking at her. She was almost too tired to be surprised but for a moment, the rest of the world disappeared. Yet she knew why he was here. _Well this is gonna be fun._

Poseidon stood up. "You cannot be serious Sally." His expression was one of concern and anger. "You can do so much better than that...thing you've decided to marry!"

"We are not engaged." She couldn't believe he was here. After 5 years..and he was just..here.

"But that's what you intend to do isn't it? Look if you're trying to protect Percy, there are other ways. Come and live with me. Or at least send Percy to camp but just don't do this!" His expression hadn't changed but his eyes were begging her. He knew what kind of mortal Gabe was and was not prepared to give up Sally and his son to him so easily. He knew her answer before she said it but it didn't matter. He had to try.

"Yes. I intend to marry him. And I stick to my original answer." For a moment she stared at him before running over and melting into his arms. He hugged her back and any anger or tension in the room that was there before seemed long gone. She almost cried- almost.

Sally was tougher than that though and would not give in to these emotions. They stayed like that for what seemed like eternity. Time seemed to speed up though and she heard the sound of a bus outside and the chatter of small children. They broke apart and looked at the door. She heard the patter of a child's feet sprinting up the stairs. For second there was silence.

In her ear Poseidon whispered, "Goodbye. I love you."

Then the door burst open and she was almost knocked over with the force of the boy that ran into her. "Mommy, mommy, mommy, see I went to school and learned lots so I don't have to go back tomorrow! Isn't that great?" Sally couldn't help but laugh at Percy's behaviour.

"Sorry Percy but that's not how school works." He grimaced at his mother and dumped his bag on the floor and headed to the bathroom.

"Um, Percy. Could you please move your bag from the middle of the floor before someone- that someone being me- trips over it. Just because you room looks like a bombsite doesn't mean the entire house has to."

"How could you trip over that? You'd have to be wearing a blindfold to miss something like that in the middle of the floor!" He said with a cheeky glint in his eyes.

"Percy." Sally said it as sternly as she could but it just wasn't her. The corner of Percy's eyes crinkled with smile lines as he picked up his bag and trudged off to his room with it. A small chuckle came from the doorway and she turned to see Poseidon at the doorway. Looked at the door his son had disappeared through with a look of longing. He sighed, smiled and disappeared. Just like that. 5 seconds ago there'd been chaos and now there was silence. Her life seemed to change so quickly. _Just like the tide._

**Thanks for reading. Sorry it took so long to update. I might do this story from Percy's POV. Review and tell me what you think! **


	3. Chapter 3 Always a Rebel

**Sorry for the long wait guys! I hate it when people don't update regularly so I feel like a hypocrite now. This is just a short-ish one cause I've got a bit of writers block. Read and Review **

Sally's POV

Her ten year old son came to halt in front of her. He only ever seemed to look glum these days and Sally could never seem to pinpoint all the reasons, though most of the time it came down to one thing. _Him_. Gabe. Her husband. Her abuser. Her son's only hope.

"Please Mum. Don't let him stop us. Let me go there. It the only connection I have to...him." Although Percy never cried in front of her or anyone else, he was as close to it as he had been in years. "Please..." he whispered. He whispered something else but as he said it so quietly and softy she only caught one word.

Dad.

It broke her heart to see her son so vulnerable like this. Even when the bullies targeted him, or he got expelled from school, or Gabe screeched at him, he had always gotten through it with a smile. He was so unreadable and good at hiding his emotions that she sometimes wondered if they bothered him at all. But she knew him better than anyone else, and when he thought no one was looking, she would see that smile melt of his face and the sadness would appear. He'd sit there quietly and never once complain. Then he'd sit up straight and the sadness would be replaced by something else. Pure determination. It hurt her to see him try so hard but she knew it was just his way of coping with things.

But now...

She understood Percy's emotion and wanted to kiss away all his problems like she did when he was a child, but no amount of motherly love could solve this problem. He needed his father.

It was a tradition that once a year they would go to Montauk for a week in the summer, as this was where Sally and Poseidon had met almost eleven years ago. Percy ( and Sally) always felt slightly closer to him, so Sally knew why it upset Percy so much. He also loved the ocean (go figure) and being separated from it for so long also upset him. Now he was being denied the only opportunity he had to go there.

"Percy I'm sorry...there's nothing I can do about it. Gabe thinks it's too expensive." The truly horrible part was that he wasn't that wrong, however much she wanted him to be. He never worked and he was constantly blowing the money on alcohol and gambling. Sally was poorly paid and Percy's school funds sucked the cash from her pocked. They had to pay the mortgage, buy food and other essentials. All this aside though she knew they could have made it work. The cabin by the beach was incredibly cheap to rent and Sally would have happily given up her money to go there. But Gabe was as stubborn as ever.

Percy's face didn't change as she said this, as if he'd already known the answer. His only reply; "Okay mum."

He walked off to his room silently, not looking back. She sighed and tried to focus on her daily routine, but it proved to be a difficult task. Gabe came home an hour later from his work. Sally played her part well as usual; welcoming him home, asking how he was, and starting to cook dinner. But on the inside she was screaming.

Percy didn't come out for tea and she knew better than to force him to. She was starting to think that Percy had just given up and was shrinking away from the world. The thought made her want to cry but she shoved it aside. It was later in the evening when she finally sat down. It had been a long day. Espn was blaring from the TV and Percy had gone to bed about half an hour ago despite the fact it was only 8:00pm. She decided to help herself to some pudding and as she got up, Gabe turned to her and said, "Get me a beer, will ya Sally."

It wasn't a question. It was an order. "She wanted to reply, "You got legs. Why don't you bloody well try and use them once in a while!" But she stayed silent quietly murmured, "Tough times don't last, tough people do..." thinking no one had heard her.

She fetched him a beer from the fridge an handed it to him. He didn't even turn his head or thank her. She was walking back into the kitchen when a loud popping noise came from behind her, followedby an even louder shout.

"WHAT THE HELL!" She turned to see Gabe sitting there, drenched in beer. The best she could figure was that it had exploded when he'd opened it, but... there was too much of the stuff. A smile crept across her face when she realised someone must've shaken it. I took all her willpower not to burst out laughing at the pathetic sight before her. He stood angrily and she wiped the smile from her face, but he hadn't noticed it anyway.

He stomped towards her and she could have sworn she heard a small musical laugh from nearby but once again, Gabe was oblivious. The giggling stopped however when Gabe shoved her roughly to the wall so he could get past her into the kitchen. He trudged over to the sink to try and removed the worst of it from his face. Sally almost knew what would happen before he touched the tap.

When he turned the water on the whole sink seemed to explode. Water getting him soaked from head to toe and yet again Sally was forced to suppress laughter. After another five minutes Gabe finished drying himself off with a nearby cloth. He returned to his place on the couch, still in his wet clothes (yes he is that lazy) and gazed at the TV with a look of pure loathing on his face.

A few seconds later she heard a voice repeat back to her what she'd said fifteen minutes ago, "Tough times don't last mommy, but tough people do..." followed by a soft sigh from under the kitchen table. When she bent down, she saw her son curled up, passed out with the effort of blowing up the sink. He smiled in his sleep and she knew she had been wrong earlier. He would never give in to the negative emotions he felt almost every day. He was a fighter. He was a child of the ocean. He was her son.

She smiled back at him before lowering the table cloth again to hide him from Gabe

'He may have his father's way with water,' she thought. 'But he has my rebellious streak.'

With that thought in mind she turned to her beloved husband, who was still glaring at the TV and said, "Honey, would you like some blue ice cream?"

**Okay so there we are. Just to clear up the end if you don't get it, I was referring to the argument over the existence of blue food between Sally and Gabe. Her little way of fighting back ;)**

**Like I said on the last chapter, if you have ideas PLEASE share. Thanks ;)**


	4. Chapter 4 Expelled again

**So hey there, he..he...yeah, my bad...**

**Well basically, I have a masters degree in procrastination, but if it's any consolation (which it probably isn't) - I feel terrible about it. Really. So here's a chapter. I the next one to have a bit more father/son action in it, and with a guest appearance from another divine being! I hope to get it up soon-ish, but I haven't written it yet and anyone who follows my stories knows how terrible I am for leaving you guys hanging (particularly my other PJO story). SORRY! It's why I should really stick to one shots.**

**Well that me completed yet another mammoth apology note so without further ado, here's the chapter.**

**Disclaimer: Please see pretty much any other fanfic on the internet for details.**

Sally gripped onto her seven year olds sons hand as she locked the door and headed down to the car. Percy had been a bit upset lately as he had just been kicked out of his most recent school. Apparently the teachers found him to be a disruptive and rude student who tried to blame all his problems on his disabilities. It was also mentioned that he was snappy at other students and refused to hand in homework on a regular basis. Percy's time at Bilburn High (A/N: Just made that up. Have no idea what schools are in NY) had been a rocky ride every since one recent particular incident involving his homework. Sally remembered it well though it was a few months ago...

* * *

_Percy had come home looking rather sullen- an unusual attitude for her hey-look-on-the-bright-side-of-life son. She naturally asked him what was wrong._

"_Nothing really, it's just our English teacher wants us to write a paragraph on our family. I'm not really sure what to do..."_

"_Well sweetie, we're going to Montauk this summer remember, you could write about how we always go there. It's like our special place."_

_Percy's face brightened at the mention of the upcoming holiday. "Sounds good. But you don't think I'll have to talk about him do you?" He looked nervously towards the sleeping buffalo in the corner.  
_

"_I'm sure your teacher want mind. You only have to mention him briefly if you want." Percy smiled at his mom and threw himself onto the couch getting his books out of his bag. Sally smiled at him and got back to her housework._

_Around a week later, she got a phone call from the school saying she would need to come to the principal's office to collect Percy. She sighed. This was Percy's 4__th__ school and he'd only started school two years ago. She grabbed her coat and made her way to the door. _

_She walked by Gabe and his goons who were still gambling in front of the TV watching gods know what rubbish. As she went to leave Gabe called after her.  
_

"_And where do you think you're going?"_

She gritted her teeth, and turned to face her husband, a fake smile plastered on her face. "Just going to fetch Percy from school honey." Gabe sneered, "What the little git done this time then eh? Besides, if you leave, who will service me and my...friends? The beer won't magically appear in our hands now, will it? Besides it's 2:30 yeah? Kid'll be home in 30 minutes. He can walk."

Sally refrained from hitting him but couldn't help the words that slipped out of her mouth. "You know how to tell time?" She was almost genuinely shocked at this fact but allowed some venom and surprise to seep into her voice.

_Silence filled the room._

_SLAP!  
_

_It was the sound of Gabe's hand meeting Sally's cheek. "Don't be cheeky..." He said quietly._

_She looked up shocked. This wasn't the first time he'd laid a hand on her but never before had he done it in front of others. Quite possibly most of them were too stupid to register what had just happened. Only the landlord Eddie looked at her with pity. That was what finally drove her from the room. The front door slammed shut behind her._

_She was already late and didn't want to waste time covering up the red welt already forming on her cheek. She'd just have to make up something on the spot if anyone asked._

_Percy sat waiting for her in a chair in front of the headmasters desk, his head hung and shoulders hunched._

_She suspected that this would be the end of Percy's time at this school seeing as this was her 6__th__ visit to the headmaster and he never could seem to stay in one school for longer than a year. She often found herself frustrated with him but knew it was not all his fault- it was so difficult for him to fit in and he was always judged too quickly by his teachers. His record meant that they usually labelled him as a hopeless case before he even entered the classroom with his brooding face and naturally messy hair. _

_Percy glanced up at her before resuming his staring competition with the ground. With a small sigh she knocked on the door and entered the office._

"_Good morning Mr Henrick." She said to announce her presence. The slightly balding man looked up from his paperwork and adjusted his glasses before inviting her to sit._

"_Ms. Jackson, I'm glad you could come...again." Sally grimaced. This was getting to be a bit of a habit. "I'm sorry to say that there have been more complaints about your son's behaviour and attitude to his teachers and work in class." 'What is this time,' she wondered?_

"_Your son refused point blank yesterday to complete his homework for today and despite warnings from his teacher, he failed to hand it in. I'm sure we would have been able to resolve the situation without you had young Perseus not continued to argue the point. Ms. Jackson, he kicked the teacher! Such actions cannot be tolerated here. We understand your situation is difficult and we are prepared to give your son one last chance. One. He will also be moved class as his Mrs Kuthberston refuses to teach him again. One more strike and he's out. Please make this clear to him. He will be suspended for the rest of the week but when he returns on Monday, please ensure that he has the unfinished homework." Mr Henrick's tone was final and Sally knew he was 100% serious about Percy's expulsion. _

_But she couldn't believe that Percy would do such a thing! Then again, he had always had a short temper. She would sort it out with him at home. The reason she was most annoyed with Percy was that she would have to stay off work as she didn't dare leave her son home alone with the walrus. That would only end in disaster. Gabe would now be even more annoyed as Sally wouldn't be getting payed. _

_She sighed, thanked the principle for not removing Percy from the school immediately, apologised and left. _

_Percy had already stood up to leave, still not meeting her eye and was ready to go._

_She sat her hand on his shoulder gently and steered him out of the school._

* * *

It actually transpired that the children had been working on projects in class for father's day the following week- the toughest day of the year for Percy- and he'd refused to make a present for someone who didn't really exist to him. He'd been told then to make it for his step-father to which Percy had snorted derisively at. He barely acted like a human to Perce let alone a father figure. It just didn't make sense to Percy's five year old mind to make a present for a father he would never see and so he ignored the work. The teacher had proceeded to yell at him, and insult him in front of the sniggering class. It would seem that it was the combination of his classmates smug faces and the word "disappointment" that appeared to make Percy snap in the end and lash out physical.

Sally didn't approve of her sons actions- she hated any kind of violence- but the fact that someone had directed that word at her baby (he would always be that to her) truly made her blood boil. If she was honest with herself, she probably would have withdrawn him from the school anyway had he not been expelled after another playground scuffle.

"You okay mom?" a voice broke through her memories and she realised she was in the car and staring into the distance, with her son in the back seat looking at her concerned.

"Fine" She replied, smiling to reassure him.

"Okay," he let it drop. "Where are we going?"

Her smile widened. "You'll see."

The drive lasted a few hours and after the first, Percy had succumbed to the realm of Hypnos, which Sally rather appreciated as it would make the surprise all the better when they arrived if he didn't recognise the area before they got there. Eventually the car came to a halt and she led her still sleepy son to the top of a small sandbank, covering his eyes before they reached the top.

He froze as he smelt the salty breeze and she felt him almost shake with excitement. She smiled again and removed her hands. For a second, he stood frozen and stared at the ocean, spread out before him. The waves lapped gently at the beach and the cabin stood as old and worn out as ever.

When he turned around she laughed, feeling joy run through her just from seeing his face completely lit up and care free for the first time in months. His happiness was utterly infectious.

"Montauk." He whispered it but his voice was so excited, he could have shouted it to her. He glanced at the ocean, back up to his mother and seeing her nod of approval (it was quite obvious what he wanted to her), he raced off towards the ocean- which seemed to have suddenly calmed considerably since their arrival.

She laughed again waiting until she was sure he had reached it safely- monsters had started to notice Percy a little- before setting off back to her car to retrieve the bags she had packed for them. She knew he wouldn't be leaving the water any time to soon. Besides, he would be fine in the ocean.

It was his father's turn to look after him for a while.


End file.
